The Privilege of Being Uncomfortable

07Aug

Hi sweet friends and family,

There has been a lot that has happened since my last letter! We went from spending our days in the classroom, studying, consistent meals cooked for us, to sleeping on the floor of a church in Mazatlán, and cooking our own food, to then sitting on a long bumpy bus ride and sleeping in tents like a can of sardines… all for the glory of God. It has been a season of stretching, learning, and seeing God's faithfulness in simple ways I did not expect. Even with the challenges, it is still the greatest joy to be sharing His Good News and showing His love.

We arrived in Mazatlán after waking up at 2:30 a.m. for our flight. After landing, there wasn't much time to rest because we jumped right into serving at Vacation Bible School that same day. By the end of the evening, we were blowing up some air mattresses on the cold concrete floor of the church, which would become home for the next couple of days. Our sleeping arrangements definitely required some adjustment. The girls all slept together in the back of the sanctuary, while the guys stayed in a small classroom nearby. It was hot and humid. The locals told us that it was actually cooler than usual! We also happened to arrive during monsoon season, so many nights were filled with the loudest thunderstorms and flooding in the church! My air mattress slowly lost air throughout the nights, and the air conditioning never seemed to stay at a comfortable temperature. As uncomfortable as those things were, I realized the Lord was using them to teach me something. None of the inconveniences were major on their own, but together they exposed just how attached I can be to comfort and routine. It has been good for me to learn to be content even when life feels inconvenient or uncomfortable.

Many people on the team have dealt with sickness, back pain, sleepless nights, and the general exhaustion that comes from constant travel, yet everyone has continued to serve with joyful hearts. I came into this trip already knowing many of the students, but living together has allowed us to know one another much more deeply. Of course, being in close quarters brings challenges, but it has also created opportunities to extend grace, ask for forgiveness, laugh together, and grow. I have loved watching the Lord shape each of us in different ways.

Mazatlán itself is such a beautiful city. The colorful buildings, narrow streets, and beaches give it so much character. We were able to visit the beach just down the street several times, and I never got tired of watching the waves. Every now and then we also escaped to a nearby coffee shop, which became a sweet place to catch our breath and enjoy the city for a little while. We had the opportunity to spend time hanging out with the church's high school and young adult groups, which was such an encouragement. I hung out with one girl mostly and we used google translate to share about our life stories and how God got us to the point we were in. Seeing their love for the Lord and their excitement to connect with us reminded me how the body of Christ truly extends across cultures and languages.

Calvary Maranatha now has a very special place in my heart. The people there are genuinely warm and welcoming, and you can truly sense the Lord's presence in that church. One of my favorite days was when they divided our team into groups of three and paired each group with a family from the church. We spent the afternoon with Roberto and Rosey. Getting to spend time in a home again after several weeks was such a gift. Roberto picked us up at the church and drove us around the city before taking us to meet his wife. You could tell how much he loved his city, and it was such an honor to experience it through his eyes. They have lived all over the world, and it was such a blessing to hear their testimonies, talk about what God has been teaching each of us, and share our hearts for missions. We left feeling encouraged and deeply cared for. It reminded all of us the importance of fellowship with the body of Christ. Later that afternoon, everyone gathered for a soccer game. The students from our team were mixed together with the young adults from the church, and it quickly became one of the highlights of the week. After spending so much time sitting in class or walking neighborhoods, it felt wonderful to simply be outside, running around and laughing together. They were definitely much better soccer players than we were, but they welcomed us right into the fun, and it became such an easy way to build friendships despite the language barrier.

We ended the week in southern Mexico by taking an 8 hour bus ride to a remote, once unreached, tribe in the San Gregorio Mountains. The little tribe is called the Cora. The region is so incredibly beautiful! The women wear beautiful clothes and sew beautiful bags. They are very noble and beautiful people. We were joined by a group of national believers from Culiacan. We all slept in tents with a blanket between us and the cement floor below us. The rains were intense and thunder was right over us. We spent the next few days split up into small groups going out into the community and sharing the gospel and loving on these people. We were also inviting them to come to our daily events where we would put on an event for their kids and the adults would be able to receive medical treatment at the medical brigade, and cut people’s hair. Simple yet life changing! We played with their children, told them Bible stories, and sought to be a good witness to them. They are looking to build a church in that tribe but they are still waiting for a family that would be willing to get the proper training and discipleship to be the pastors of the church. There are very very few believers. The tribe had been visited for the past few years and there has been some progress with bringing the Gospel and people are hungry and ready to hear. There are not enough people that have been called to labor and do the work that it takes to truly disciple and share the Gospel to the entire village. We had devotions every evening and every night. The theme for the devotions was “one more”. We are doing what we can to bring the Gospel to one more perishing immortal soul. They need to hear the Gospel so they can have a relationship with the Father for eternity. For some reason the Lord uses broken vessels as a part of His plan to reach one more. We are sleeping in uncomfortable positions, woken up by the thunderstorm around us, and trying to not let a single drop of contaminated water or food affect us all for the one more. These uncomforts are all a privilege. We get the privilege to serve and bring the gospel and be the hands and feet of Jesus. It was such an honor to get to step into this world. I am always reminded of the urgency of the Gospel needing to go out into the remote unreached places when I see the beautiful faces and am reminded that they have no idea of the eternity set before them apart from Christ.

Being in Mazatlan and the Cora tribe is only a small glimpse of what it looks like to do long term missions. We are reminded of the phrase “counting the cost”. Are we ok being comfortable, sitting in our cushiony AC church buildings, sleeping in a nice home with access to constant wifi, and knowing that so much of the world is dying in unreached places with no access to the Hope of Christ? The cost is real but the reward is even greater! It is a privilege to be sacrificing your life in order to make God’s name famous in cities like Mazatlan and small tribes like the Cora.

These last few weeks it has been a lot with the constant pace of ministry and living in close quarters. The Lord has been reminding me that growth often happens in those very moments. He is teaching me patience, humility, and the importance of choosing love even when I feel tired or stretched. I am continually amazed that He uses ordinary moments, uncomfortable circumstances, and the people around us to make us more like Him.

Prayer Requests:

Thank you all for continuing to pray for me and for our team. Please continue praying me! I would love prayer for physical endurance, for my heart to remain teachable, and that I would continue to faithfully represent Christ in everything that I do. I am in my last week where I am debriefing and reflecting on all that the Lord is doing. There is so much the Lord has been doing and teaching me. I am still looking to raise $900 for my time here! If you feel led to give, the link is below! There are several of us that have been fighting sickness and so I would love prayer for not getting sick and staying strong. I would also love prayer as I go back and am seeking the Lord to continue to guide my next steps. I can't wait to share more stories when I get home.

Blessings,

Ella